DoubleTree by Hilton Auckland Karaka — Hotel in Papakura

We picked the Hilton after reading reviews, and one review mentioned the 'welcome cookie', I thought what a nice thought. upon arrival their was no welcome cookie, but thought maybe we didnt qualify so didnt question, however due to our long travelling that day I asked for late check out - the lady at the counter said no initially, however after I asked if we could even have just half an hour late checkout would be good so we are not rushing since we had had a rushed day before arriving.....she agreed to a late check out. The bathroom had a little draw in it that obviously must of been for hotel amentities like shower caps ,(I use one and didnt think to bring my own) in the past. I watched tv and saw on the Hilton channel the ad was promoting the cookie upon arrival. In the morning I rang the reception and asked if they had a shower cap, they said I could get one from reception, I also asked about the cookie on arrival and how we didnt get one, the lady said we must of missed out, I asked if we would be getting one on departure, she instantly said No, and that they are only baked 12noon and 2pm and only baked enough for the people actually staying at the hotel - I asked how did we miss out on one then since we stayed, she didnt have an answer. We put the DoNotDisturb sign on then went for breakfast, which was lovely, I sat and started to eat my breakfast, then saw the cups of tea, so I got up and got myself a cup of tea, came back to my table and my half eaten breakfast was gone - the young kitchen waiters had come and collected my plate, even though I didnt mind getting back up and getting more breakfast items, I did think what a waste of food they must go through if they happen to be taking peoples plates before they have even finished eating.......Once finished breakfast I went to reception to get a shower cap, the guy couldnt find any so said he would send someone up...we had a quick look around the hotel, then went to room, a staff member was waiting outside the room with the shower cap which was great - I then went to have a shower and the phone rang, saying someone was outside with the shower cap - I said Ive already got the shower cap....this was fine, however went to jump in the shower and the phone rings again (so much for DND sign), the staff said the Manager wanted to see me, I asked if everything was okay and I started to worry - the staff member said, he just wanted to see me and will be up shortly........the End of the experience is....the Manager came up and have us the cookies........I was slightly confused though, as the initial lady said the cookies are baked twice a day 12noon and 2pm, and at this point it was 10.15am, so I felt very much lied too..............I know the Manager rectified the issues, which is great - just wish it was a slightly better experience, even if it were the simple shower cap in...

I spent two nights at the hotel, booking a 'staycation' with the intention of resting, sleeping in, and enjoying the long weekend. However, on the first day, at 9 am, housekeeping knocked loudly on my door, abruptly waking me up. There was no "do not disturb" sign available to indicate that I didn't want to be disturbed.

Although the room and bathroom were spacious, I had hoped for a bathtub, which was not provided. If you desire a bath, it's necessary to request one specifically. I was disappointed to discover that there was no toothpaste available, which is a simple and expected amenity in hotels.

The mini-bar was practically empty, except for a few small containers of milk.

In the restaurant, the food was average. A bottle of Champagne Veuve, which typically sells for $86.00, was listed on the menu for $155! I wouldn't mind the higher price if the wait staff had been attentive and regularly refilled our glasses. Speaking of glasses, we were only given one glass of water each, and none of the wait staff offered additional water or acknowledged that there was none on the table. After we finished our meal, we had to ask for both water and the dessert menu. Even then, it took 15 minutes for the menu to arrive, and we had to remind the staff because they had forgotten about it. The service was slow and expensive.

One positive aspect I can mention is the friendly and professional gentleman who runs the bar. He made excellent cocktails.

Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi reception in my room was nonexistent on my phone. Even after not using their wifi my phone's own data /reception was extremely slow. It seems like my room was in a bad spot, being on the first floor.

I accidentally dropped a glass foundation bottle on the tiled floor and immediately informed the staff to prevent any staining on the grout or tiles. Although they came to clean it, they only wiped the immediate spill and failed to thoroughly clean the stains. To make matters worse, there were still small glass fragments left behind as they hadn’t vacuumed. Since I didn't have a vacuum or dustpan and brush, I couldn't clean it myself.

Overall, the service at this Hilton hotel was disappointing, and it didn't provide the quiet and relaxed stay I had planned. I walked out a little annoyed and not rested. Spent $948.07 in total at this hotel, it’s a lot of money spent and I expected top quality service. All these minor issues compounded to create a negative experience, and I won't be staying...

I stayed from September 28 to October 14, and I have been contemplating how to write a fair review. From the perspective of the room itself, I was quite satisfied. In a city like Auckland, it’s truly satisfying to find a hotel that provides such a spacious and secure parking area. As for the dining experience, the restaurant’s offerings were impressive, and the food was delicious. However, it’s disappointing that the room service meals didn’t quite meet my expectations.

Regarding the service, I believe it is a crucial factor in evaluating a hotel’s quality. The front desk and restaurant staff were all very friendly, which was great. However, during my stay, I did encounter some unpleasant situations. One day, I communicated with the housekeeping staff about my room cleaning schedule before I left, but it was clear that they had mistaken my room number. When I returned, I found that my room hadn’t been cleaned, and I had to sacrifice my rest time to wait for the housekeeping service. When I approached the front desk to report this, they simply blamed it on me not turning off the “Do Not Disturb” sign, which I believe was not the real issue. The main problem was that the staff had clearly noted down the wrong room number. Moreover, the staff member who had the wrong room number didn’t have the attitude I would expect from a professional. When I pointed out the error, she directly said to me, “This is not the room I’m responsible for cleaning.” I understand that each staff member has their own designated areas, but is it really appropriate to respond to a customer in such a manner?

Additionally, during my stay, I requested slippers from the front desk. They agreed to provide them, but I never found any slippers in my room, nor did anyone follow up on this request afterward.

Lastly, the hotel staff’s understanding of Hilton’s policies was insufficient. The front desk staff misunderstood the policy of “one free night for every five consecutive nights,” which didn’t align with Hilton’s official policy. As a result, I didn’t receive the corresponding reward after staying for five consecutive nights. To be honest, this was quite disappointing and was the direct reason why I decided to write this review and file a complaint against the hotel. Perhaps I will never choose the Hilton brand again...